1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable and disposable hygiene device and, more particularly, to a portable and disposable container for collecting, absorbing and retaining human or animal waste material that can be used with one hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable fluid containment bags are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,132 to Young et al. (hereinafter xe2x80x9cthe Young patentxe2x80x9d) discloses a containment and disposable bag for collecting human bodily fluids. The bag defines a hollow interior and has a partially open top for receiving the bodily fluids. A funnel structure is positioned within the bag to channel the bodily fluids into the interior of the bag and to restrict expulsion of the bodily fluids from the interior. The bag is generally made of a lightweight, flexible nonpermeable plastic material. An elongated stiffener element is disposed around the periphery of the open top of the bag and is adapted to bias the open top outwardly. A quantity of absorbent material is located within the bag. In particular, the absorbent material is located near a bottom of the bag. The complicated nature of the internal funnel structure makes the fluid containment bag disclosed by the Young patent expensive to fabricate. Furthermore, the fluid containment bag disclosed by the Young patent requires the use of an absorbent gelling material positioned in the interior of the bag.
Other fluid disposable devices are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,475,767 to Freestone et al. (hereinafter xe2x80x9cthe Freestone patentxe2x80x9d); U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,578 to Stanford; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,892 to Szabo. The Freestone patent discloses a sanitary disposable receiver for liquid and solid waste materials and is formed as an elongated bag. The receiver disclosed by the Freestone patent has an outer layer, a water resistant coating on an inner surface of the outer layer and a layer of absorbent material in the bottom interior of the receiver. The receiver disclosed by the Freestone patent does not provide a convenient structure for maintaining the opening of the receiver in an open position while a user utilizes the receiver. Consequently, the receiver disclosed by the Freestone patent is difficult in practice to use because it requires the user to use at least one hand to maintain the receiver opening in the open position. The Szabo patent discloses a relief container for use in automobiles that is similar to the device disclosed by the Freestone patent, but uses a solid ring member to maintain the container in an open position. However, this ring member makes the container disclosed by the Szabo patent difficult, in practice, to close.
Clearly, there is a need for a convenient, practical and inexpensive fluid and solid waste containment bag that can be used by persons who are away from home or without access to conventional bathroom facilities. Each of the above-discussed prior art references has disadvantages that are overcome by the present invention.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable and disposable hygiene device for collecting, absorbing and retaining liquid and solid waste material that can be used with one hand.
The present invention relates to a portable and disposable container for collecting, absorbing and retaining human or animal waste material.
A container is formed as an elongated bag having a mouth opening. A resiliently deformable collar surrounds a periphery of the mouth opening and defines the mouth opening. A nonpermeable flexible outer layer encloses the collar member and defines an internal pocket of the container. A liquid absorbent inner layer is positioned in the internal pocket and is attached to the outer layer. The inner layer forms the surface of the internal pocket and is adapted to absorb liquid waste material. The container is adapted to retain solid waste material deposited in the internal pocket.
The container may be tubular-shaped with one closed end. The inner layer is preferably thermally bonded to the outer layer, and may be thermally bonded to the outer layer along substantially an entire outer surface of the inner layer. The inner layer may also be adhesively bonded to the outer layer.
The collar member may be made of rubber, or may be made of cardboard material having a sufficient thickness such that the cardboard collar member is at least partially resiliently deformable. The outer layer may be a textured non-woven breathable elastic film. The inner layer is generally adapted to absorb between about 50 and 500 cubic centimeters of liquid human waste material. Furthermore, the inner layer may be made of any one of the following materials: cotton, wood pulp fluff, and porous fiber matrix. The inner layer may include superabsorbent polymers and hydrogels therein for absorbing liquid waste materials. Generally, the container is adapted to be used with one hand by a user.
Further details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings.